should I bring my digital SLR?

[disneymami]

I'm having a hard time with this. Should I bring my Nikon D40 digital SLR to disney world? I LOVE this camera and it takes fabulous pictures, and I love taking pics on vacation and taking pics of my girls. But it's a big camera with a big lens and a big carrying case. I have an old digital SONY camera that does not take a great pics compared to my NIKON. I'm staying at the WL. I would love to take 500 pics of this place. Ugh. What should I do? Carrying the camera around MK would be hard. But I wouldn't mind it so much while at the resort. I hear the safe in the room is quite small. Have you experienced keeping valuables in the hotel safe?

 

[Disney*Dreamer]

I took my Sony A300. It stayed in the car the entire trip. It rained everyday, so obviously I didn't want to get it in the rain, but also, I am glad I didn't try to take it in the parks, it would have been a pain. It would have been good to have for character photos and a few others, but I would not have wanted to carry it around all day. If you want photos of the resort, take it and at least get those. If you have it with you, you can decide at the moment if you want to carry it or not, if you leave it at home you will not have the choice. I took my old Sony H2 and a smaller Nikon s200.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

only 500 pics? i take over 200 a day with a Dslr. if you dont bring it you just might miss a magical moment. you just never know!!!!

 

[ericalynn1979]

Not even a question for me, absolutely yes! But then again, I'm addicted to photos.

 

[twinmom06]

I am in the same situation - I am leaving my beloved Nikon D40 at home bc its just too big and taking the old Sony cybershot.

 

[woodkins]

I have brought my D40X on my last 3 trips to WDW and it was sooo worth bringing it. The pictures I got of my daughter were well worth having to carry it around the parks.

 

[jana616]

I'm wrestling with this one too, but I think I am taking my Nikon D50. I feel most comfortable with it now, and I think I would be kicking myself if I didn't bring it. I don't have a small point and shoot anymore (it replaced my Cybershot, which broke, and I was entertaining the idea of buying another just for this trip), but if I did, I think I would bring it too, just in case. Really the P&S take up so little space, why not?

 

[fortcampers]

I don't not taking my Pentax K100d super with me to Disney. I took my Kodak easy share instead. It takes great photos, especially outside and I love the pixs I got with it, but the whole reason for me to move up to a "nicer" camera was to take dance photos, football photos, vacation photos, etc. It is a heavy camera and just taking the usual lens I carry it still would have been heavy. It also rained one of the days and I was already panicking about the kodak getting wet. I love my Pentax but taking it to Disney would have been too much stress for me. The Kodak did a great job. It's a toss up----I would go with your comfort level. I did not want to worry about the "nicer" camera on the trip. Good luck with your decision!

 

[taitai]

Of course you should. We have taken ours everywhere....hiking in Peru, Disney, the beach in the Bahamas, soccer games, school plays, etc. That is what it is for...to take pictures of your family and friends having fun. It never occured to me to leave it home. It is heavier and a bit bigger than a flip or something else but I don't carry much anyway...just a cc and a driver's license. Bring it. Why else do you have it?

 

[metchick]

I'm having a hard time with this. Should I bring my Nikon D40 digital SLR to disney world? I LOVE this camera and it takes fabulous pictures, and I love taking pics on vacation and taking pics of my girls. But it's a big camera with a big lens and a big carrying case. I have an old digital SONY camera that does not take a great pics compared to my NIKON. I'm staying at the WL. I would love to take 500 pics of this place. Ugh. What should I do? Carrying the camera around MK would be hard. But I wouldn't mind it so much while at the resort. I hear the safe in the room is quite small. Have you experienced keeping valuables in the hotel safe?

I am so bringing mine. Just got a beautiful SLR for christmas. Last year with my other camera I took 3000 pics...can't wait to get going with this one, strap it on teh hip and go...whoowhoooohooo

 

[disneymami]

thanks so much! I have to bring my camera. I'll bring it to the MK for one of our two days and leave it with the front desk hotel safe for the other day.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I took my D100 and could not have been more pleased. I kept a gallon ziplock baggie on hand in case of rain.

You would regret taking a point and shoot b/c of the delay. You never know what you'll miss.

 

[5 for WDW]

I have the Nikon D40 too. It has made the last 3 trips to WDW with us and I would not dream of leaving it home for our future trips!

In fact, it goes everywhere with me. The zoo, kids school, Yankee Stadium, etc. I won't use another camera now.

So, I say bring yours!

 

[kldmom2000]

I've brought my Nikon D50 w/ extra zoom lens the last 3 times we went.... no worries I bought a Tamrac camera backpack and stowed it in there the few times I wasn't wearing it to snap photos I've gotten pics I never would have gotten with my P & S camera..... Of course, I don't bring it down to the pool-use the Point & shoot for those times... but I never left the room w/o it otherwise!

 

[natnelliesmom]

We do take our D-SLR camera with us. We are stroller users- so unless we are on a ride we do have a place to keep it. We do bring in the whole camera bag- but take the camera on rides etc. with us to avoid theft. My DH and I take turns toting it around.

This is the camera I am used to using at home, it takes amazing photos, and I would be very disappointed trying to use something else in WDW.

-Sarah

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I am so taking my Pentax K100d Super. One of my biggest regrets was not having a decent camera on both of my last two trips. I've never been satisfied with the pics I have taken on holiday. Last trip I bought a new Point and Shoot just for the trip and it just didn't cut it. I swore it wouldn't happen again. So I bought the Pentax. I love it.

 

[nu2dis]

I'm a professional photographer and I love taking photos of my kids and family, but no way am I taking more then a point and shoot. I dont want to worry about breaking expensive gear, getting it stolen, dragging it around, etc. And I learned that a quick snapshot of a happy moment is just as exciting as a lovely composed photo when it comes to my own kids. I save my dslr for portraits and when I have an extra set of hands...also when I dont expect to be part of the action. We got photopass so we can get lots of family together pics

 

[nu2dis]

oh, another note, if we go back when its much calmer (we are going late june) I would likely bring it. But its just one less thing I want to mess with when its blazing hot in giant crowds

 

[fortcampers]

I agree with the above poster---like I said before---I don't want to worry about the camera at Disney. My point and shoot Kodak took beautiful photos and I don't regret not bringing my Pentax. I am the one who carries the band-aids, motrin, tickets---you name it. The P&S fits nicely in my pocketbook or the messenger bag I bought at Disney. I save the Pentax for dance competitions, recitals, my son's football games, portraits of the kids, nature, our dogs, birthdays, camping---anything that doesn't involve me having to carry it around for 8 or more hours a day and not have a place to keep it safe or dry.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I just bought my Nikon D40 a month ago BECAUSE we are going in October! I took 1500 pictures when we went last fall with a point and shoot and was not as pleased with them as I wanted to be. They were OK, but I needed more. Why have a DSLR if you don't bring it on fantastic trips?! I don't know that I could go back to a p&s again. Do you have a walk around lens that you could use that has a pretty wide range so you don't have to carry extra lenses too?